Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Kim - I'll try to answer some of your questions - at least the specific
ones,- and hopefully keep my facts straight.

> > If AERC has been the distance organization that USEF recognizes why and
who are making decisions to change qualifications? >>

FEI only recently formally adopted Endurance as an Equestrian sport (1998 I
think). Prior to that AERC (via the International committee) provided the
structure and support for International Endurance competitions. FEI only
recognizes one organization in each country as the 'National Governing Body'
for the sport. USEF (at the time it was AHSA) was already established as the
NGB for the USA in Equestrian sports - Eventing, Show Jumping, Vaulting -
and when Endurance became an FEI discipline, they developed an Endurance
branch. AERC helped develop the discipline for USEF, all of the committees
and organization structure came from AERC International committee membrs.
The USEF committees are almost entirely composed of AERC members.

The short answer is that some of the decisions are being made by FEI (rules
of competition, including the 13:20 speed requirement for Championship
qualification), and some are being made by USEF (the nomination requirements
for riders/horses that wish to represent the USEF at FEI Championships).

> > Are there not AERC members on this committee and why are their opinions
(and I assume here that they would like stricter qualifications) being
ignored.  Shouldn't AERC members on committess in USEF be considered the
"specialists" and their suggestions followed.>>

Yes there are AERC members on the USEF (and also FEI) committees. And not
every person on every committee has the same opinion!

> > If winning is sooooo important to USEF why not send teams to venues that
our horses have a chance of being competitive.  Would it be out of line to
sit out a WEC if you know that there are no horses in the selection pool
that have a chance at "winning". >>

Interesting question. USEF put their money into funding a team for the World
Championship in Dubai. There was little left over to send riders to the Pan
American Championship in Argentina. Pretty standard stuff though - the World
Championships are more prestigious (Olympics even more so).

> > Your Arabian Nights ride was set up as a race similar to the WEC.  If the
winning horse at that race was at least 30 or more minutes slower on home
turf then the winning horse at the WEC how can one expect to be in the
medals. In all elite sports competitors know what their competition is
capable to do in performance.  Did we not know that an 8 hr 100 mile
completion would be middle of the pack? >>

Another good question. I think the USA had their sights set on a Team medal,
not individual medals. The team competition is different - and 3 good ride
times (not necessarily winning times) might be adequate for a team medal.

> > If there are so many other nations that feel the same as you and AERC WHY
is this trend allowed to continue? >>

It's not really a 'trend', it is simply taking the sport as it is, and has
been, defined - i.e a timed event - a RACE - to its logical conclusion. The
UAE has not redefined the sport, they haven't even really changed it, they
are just taking it at face value - it's a race. "I'm faster than you are -
let's prove it". And all of the rules that are in place now have been
injected over the years to protect the horses from the individuals whose
racing spirt was stronger than their horse. The world is now taking the
sport, as we (AERC) and a few other nations have defined it,and are getting
better and faster and now we are reaching the point where it's become a
little distasteful. We didn't mean for it -really- to be a race did we?
Not -that- fast! Not on -flat- courses!

The AERC awards winners of races too doesn't it? It's a very complicated
thing... I don't feel like I have any answers as to what direction the sport
will, or should, take. But they (FEI) aren't doing anything new or bad, just
trying to regulate the sport that has really/actually become a race. It used
to be a sport for 'regular' folks. Now it's also the sport of Sheikhs. Good
or bad - that's pretty subjective. But it's by definition the same sport,
the same rules. It's a race.

> > Why is the majority (if there is a majority of nations that feel this
style of racing is wrong) being ignored?  The trend does not seem to be
swinging back to sanity but swinging futher away toward the "race track"
mentality.  You may say that the wheels of change turn slow at this level in
any organization BUT they certainly did not turn slow to get to where
International racing is today.  You can't blame this change on just the UAE
as there had to be co operation from other nations and other endurance
federations.  Can you name the nations that have concerns about this style
of riding and the nations that seem to think this is OK? >>

I think that most nations feel it is difficult or impossible to compete with
the UAE regarding superior horseflesh and training, and having a large
enough pool to select the very very best. There are others that feel that
the FEI extreme is not something they want to participate in (Australia is
probably similar to the USA in this respect). But for half of the 41
countries that came to the UAE for the WEC - this is a very new sport, and
they are still trying to figure out 'how' to do it. I don't think they're
wondering 'why' just yet.

And really the question is - can we control the speed, the stress, without
redefining the sport? We can fine tune loop lengths and hold times and
qualifications and handicaps and course requirements (have to build some
mountains in the desert) - but at the end of the day, Endurance is defined
as a race - fastest horse wins.

I don't want to quit my involvement in Endurance at this level. But I do
think we have to be realistic about our goals and expections as a country -
and we (the USA) need to be really careful that we don't get so desparate
for a medal in this new arena, that we discourage responsible horsemanship.

Steph



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